Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and recording medium

Abstract

An image processing apparatus of this invention includes a classification unit configured to classify anchor points that define the contour of an object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object, and a saving unit configured to identifiably save the anchor points classified by the classification unit for respective groups.

1. An image processing apparatus, which generates image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, comprising:
 a classification unit configured to classify the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object, wherein said classification unit classifies the anchor points into a first group including anchor points which meet one of the features of the contour of the object and a second group including anchor points which do not meet any of the features of the contour of the object; 
 a saving unit configured to save the anchor points classified by said classification unit for the first group, wherein said saving unit does not save the anchor points classified into the second group; and 
 an output unit configured to execute rendering using the anchor points classified into the first group and an anchor point which is located on a curve determined by the anchor points classified into the first group and is classified as the second group, and outputs a rendered result as the object. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said classification unit further generates control points attached to the anchor points. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the features of the contour of the object include at least one of:
 an end point on the contour of the object; 
 a corner point located at a corner on the contour of the object; 
 a protruding point located at a protruding part on the contour of the object; and 
 a curvature point having a reference curvature on a curve that connects two adjacent anchor points. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the end point is the anchor point having one adjacent anchor point. 
     
     
       5. An image processing apparatus which generates image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, comprising:
 a classification unit configured to classify the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object; and 
 a saving unit configured to save the anchor points classified by said classification unit for respective groups, 
 wherein the features of the contour of the object include a corner point located at a corner on the contour of the object, and 
 wherein the corner point is the anchor point which is located at a center of a right angle which is defined by vectors having lengths of not less than 5 pixels. 
 
     
     
       6. An image processing apparatus which generates image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, comprising:
 a classification unit configured to classify the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object; and 
 a saving unit configured to save the anchor points classified by said classification unit for respective groups, 
 wherein the features of the contour of the object include a protruding point located at a protruding part on the contour of the object, and the protruding point is the anchor point which is located on a target side when at least one of two adjacent sides which are adjacent to the target side on the contour of the object has a length not less than 1.5 times of a length of the target side. 
 
     
     
       7. An image processing apparatus which generates image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, comprising:
 a classification unit configured to classify the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object; and 
 a saving unit configured to save the anchor points classified by said classification unit for respective groups, 
 wherein the features of the contour of the object include a curvature point having a reference curvature on a curve that connects two adjacent anchor points, and the curvature point is the anchor point which is located on a target side, when directions of vectors of two adjacent sides which are adjacent to the target side on the contour of the object are different from each other, and ½ of a total of lengths of two second adjacent sides which are further adjacent to the adjacent sides adjacent to the target side is smaller than a length of the target side. 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when a sketch of the object is rendered, the anchor points classified into the first group are used. 
     
     
       9. An image processing apparatus, which generates image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, comprising:
 a classification unit configured to classify the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object, wherein said classification unit classifies the anchor points into a first group including anchor points which meet one of the features of the contour of the object and a second group including anchor points which do not meet any of the features of the contour of the object, and wherein the control points attached to the anchor points classified into the first group are classified into the second group; and 
 a saving unit configured to save the anchor points classified by said classification unit for respective groups, 
 wherein said saving unit saves either one of an x-coordinate value and a y-coordinate value of each control point on an x-y orthogonal coordinate system. 
 
     
     
       10. An image processing method, which generates image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, comprising:
 a classification step of classifying the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object, wherein said classification step classifies the anchor points into a first group including anchor points which meet one of the features of the contour of the object and a second group including anchor points which do not meet any of the features of the contour of the object; 
 a saving step of saving the anchor points classified in the classification step for the first group, wherein said saving unit does not save the anchor points classified into the second group; and 
 an output step configured to execute rendering using the anchor points classified into the first group and an anchor point which is located on a curve determined by the anchor points classified into the first group and is classified as the second group, and outputs a rendered result as the object. 
 
     
     
       11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording an image processing program, which generates image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, said program making a computer function to:
 classify the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object, wherein said contour of the object classifies the anchor points into a first group including anchor points which meet one of the features of the contour of the object and a second group including anchor points which do not meet any of the features of the contour of the object; 
 a contour of the object to save the classified anchor points for the first group wherein said contour of the object does not save the anchor points classified into the second group; and 
 a contour of the object configured to execute rendering using the anchor points classified into the first group and an anchor point which is located on a curve determined by the anchor points classified into the first group and is classified as the second group, and outputs a rendered result as the object. 
 
     
     
       12. An image processing method of generating image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, comprising:
 classifying the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object; and 
 saving the classified anchor points for respective groups, 
 wherein the features of the contour of the object include a corner point located at a corner on the contour of the object and the corner point is the anchor point which is located at a center of a right angle which is defined by vectors having lengths of not less than 5 pixels. 
 
     
     
       13. An image processing method of generating image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, comprising:
 classifying the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object; and 
 saving the classified anchor points for respective groups, 
 wherein the features of the contour of the object include a protruding point located at a protruding part on the contour of the object, and wherein the protruding point is the anchor point which is located on a target side when at least one of two adjacent sides which are adjacent to the target side on the contour of the object has a length not less than 1.5 times of a length of the target side. 
 
     
     
       14. An image processing method of generating image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, comprising:
 classifying the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object; and 
 saving the classified anchor points for respective groups, 
 wherein the features of the contour of the object include a curvature point having a reference curvature on a curve that connects two adjacent anchor points and the curvature point is the anchor point which is located on a target side, when directions of vectors of two adjacent sides which are adjacent to the target side on the contour of the object are different from each other, and ½ of a total of lengths of two second adjacent sides which are further adjacent to the adjacent sides adjacent to the target side is smaller than a length of the target side. 
 
     
     
       15. An image processing method of generating image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, comprising:
 classifying the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object, wherein said classification unit classifies the anchor points into a first group including anchor points which meet one of the features of the contour of the object and a second group including anchor points which do not meet any of the features of the contour of the object, and wherein the control points attached to the anchor points classified into the first group are classified into the second group; and 
 saving the classified anchor points for respective groups, such that either one of an x-coordinate value and a y-coordinate value of each control point on an x-y orthogonal coordinate system. 
 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording an image processing program, which generates image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, said program making a computer function to:
 classifying the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object; and 
 saving the classified anchor points for respective groups, 
 wherein the features of the contour of the object include a corner point located at a corner on the contour of the object and the corner point is the anchor point which is located at a center of a right angle which is defined by vectors having lengths of not less than 5 pixels. 
 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording an image processing program, which generates image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, said program making a computer function to:
 classifying the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object; and 
 saving the classified anchor points for respective groups, 
 wherein the features of the contour of the object include a protruding point located at a protruding part on the contour of the object and the protruding point is the anchor point which is located on a target side when at least one of two adjacent sides which are adjacent to the target side on the contour of the object has a length not less than 1.5 times of a length of the target side. 
 
     
     
       18. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording an image processing program, which generates image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, said program making a computer function to:
 classifying the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object; and 
 saving the classified anchor points for respective groups, 
 wherein the features of the contour of the object include a curvature point having a reference curvature on a curve that connects two adjacent anchor points and the curvature point is the anchor point which is located on a target side, when directions of vectors of two adjacent sides which are adjacent to the target side on the contour of the object are different from each other, and ½ of a total of lengths of two second adjacent sides which are further adjacent to the adjacent sides adjacent to the target side is smaller than a length of the target side. 
 
     
     
       19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording an image processing program, which generates image data by functionally approximating a contour of an object using anchor points and control points, and processes the image data, said program making a computer function to:
 classifying the anchor points that define the contour of the object into a plurality of groups based on features of the contour of the object, wherein said classification unit classifies the anchor points into a first group including anchor points which meet one of the features of the contour of the object and a second group including anchor points which do not meet any of the features of the contour of the object, and wherein the control points attached to the anchor points classified into the first group are classified into the second group; and 
 saving the classified anchor points for respective groups, such that either one of an x-coordinate value and a y-coordinate value of each control point on an x-y orthogonal coordinate system.